1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved lamp shade construction and, more particularly, to a knock-down kit for forming a lamp shade from a plurality of ready-to-assemble parts which are shipped in a generally flat, compact or collapsed condition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has earlier been proposed to fully assemble lamp shades prior to shipment. Such lamp shades require a considerable amount of storage space and shipment space, particularly in cases where the fully assembled lamp shade cannot be easily nested or stacked, for example, when the lamp shades have a cylindrical configuration. In order to reduce the amount of space required for storage and/or shipment and the concomitant high shipping costs associated therewith, it has also been proposed to construct a ready-to-assemble or a knock-down lamp shade which can be compactly packaged in collapsed condition for facilitating storage and/or shipment and for reducing storage and shipping costs.
Although the known collapsible lamp shade kits are generally acceptable for their intended purpose, they have not proven to be altogether satisfactory in use. Such prior art kits have proven to be very difficult for an ordinary purchaser to assemble. Moreover, the assembly of the known prior art kits by a retailer prior to sale has also proven to be a time consuming, complex and expensive task. Furthermore, the prior art kits construct their lamp shades of rigid material such as glass or plastic. Such rigid panels are easily scratched and, once broken, are expensive to replace.